Rolling mill



Aug. 28, 1951 J. M. O'MALLEY ROLLING MILL Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 19,1946 All!!! 1 ff I V. E L L N0 5. M m w J I r w A T RNEY Aug. 28, 1951J. M O'MALLEY 2,565,928

ROLLING MILL Filed Feb. 19, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 2 l- L L/- Aug. 28, 1951J. M. OMALLEY 2,565,928

ROLLING MILL Filed Feb. 19, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VE N TOR J0$EPH M.OLMALLEY g- 1951 J. M. O'MALLEY 2,565,928

ROLLING MILL Filed Feb. 19, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 o o I 45 45 1 Il 1T mf 62 H 43 43 H l 1' J T N Z6 Z6 25 J SEPH M. O'MALLEY BY QM W r4770? EY.

F 7 INVENTOR Patented Aug. 28, 1951 ROLLING MILL Joseph M. O'Malley,Worcester, Mass., asaignor to Morgan Construction Company, Worcester,Mass., a eorporationot Massachusetts Application February 19, 1946,Serial No. 848,701

Claims. (01. 30 -55,)

This invention relates to rolling mills of the type having a pair ofvertical rolls for rolling metal bars which travel in a substantiallyhorizontal path between the rolls, and more particularly to aconstruction and arrangement of parts which will facilitate the removaland replacement of the rolls.

The handling of rolls in connection with a large rolling mill presents adiflicultproblem, and this is particularly true in mills having gearinglocated above the rolls and arranged to drive the rolls from their upperends. The weight of each roll is so great than an overhead crane must beemployed for roll-handling purposes, yet the gearing prevents removal ofthe rolls by direct upward movement unless the gearing itself is firstremoved. This of course is expensive and time-consuming. The roll neckbearings in a large mill are also very heavy, and they furthercomplicate the problem of roll handling.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to provide a verticalrolling mill so constructed and arranged as to greatly facilitate there-- moval and replacement of the rolls. I

It is a further object of the invention to provide a rolling mill havingvertical rolls driven by gearing at their upper ends, the constructionbeing such that the rolls may be removed and replaced in an expeditiousmanner without dis-' Referring to the drawings illustrating oneembodiment of the invention and in which like reference numeralsindicate like parts,

Fig. 1 is a section through a vertical rolling mill, the section beingtaken principally in the plane of the roll axes, the bearing chocks forthe left-hand roll being sectioned in a laterallyoif--- 2 handlingapparatus, capable of handling both rolls simultaneously;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the mill, partially broken away, showingthe apparatus of Fig. 6 in position to remove the rolls; and Fig. 8 is afront elevation of the mill, showing both rolls in the process ofremoval.

The embodiment illustrated comprises a pair of separate roll housings l0each 01' which supports upper and lower bearings or chocks ll havingvertically aligned bores for the reception of the necks 01' a verticalroll l2. The two rolls I2 are located in laterally adjacent positions.As best shown in Fig. 3, the housings provide a laterally open pocket IIfor each chock II, the

sulting from the rolling pressure, i'our transverse horizontal tensionbars l8 are provided. There are two of these bars at each side or thehousings, one above the other, and they are firmly connected to theright-hand housing. The left ends of the bars are connected .by yokes(not shown) which carry horizontal screws l9 (Fig. 1) in engagement withthe left-hand housing.

Power transmitting mechanism is provided to drive the rolls I2. For thispurpose a vertical shaft 2| (Fig. 1) is rotatably supported in eachhousing, in a position adjacent the outer side of the correspondingroll. A bevel gear 22 is mounted on the lower end of each shaft andmeshes with a bevel pinion 23, each gear and pinion being enclosed in acasing 25 carried by the housing l0 thereabove. Both the pinions 23 areslidably keyed, to a transverse horizontal drive shaft 26 which extendsthrough both gear casings 25, this shaft being rotated by any suitablesource of power.

The vertical shafts 2| are connected to the rolls to drive the same. Asshown, a gear housand fitting within an internally splined couplingmember 38 secured to the upper end of the corresponding shaft 2|. On theupper end of'each spindle 33 there is secured a head 31 multisplinedexternally and fitting within an internally splined coupling member 38attached to the upwardly projecting hollow shaft of the gear 29. Eachdriven gear 30 is of hollow construction to provide a centrallongitudinal borev or passage 40 therethrough for the reception of avertical spindle 4|. The lower end of this spindle is formed with a head42 which is multisplined externally to provide a telescopicv drivingconnection with a coupling member or sleeve 43 mounted on the wabbler |5therebeneath. On

the upper end of each spindle 4| there is secured a head 45multi-splined externally and fitting within an internally splinedcoupling member 46 attached to the upwardly projecting shaft of the gear30. The several splined or fluted joints are made with suflicientlooseness to permit the spindles 33 and 4| to serve as universalspindles which will transmit ower in a proper manner and without.binding despite slight misalignment of the driving gears 29 with respectto the shafts 2| or of the driven gears 30 with respect to the rolls l2.

Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the left-hand spindle 2|has been raised to withdraw the head 42 from the coupling member 43 andthe head from the coupling member 46. By turntheir upper ends, so that acrane or hoist may be employed for the purpose. In this manner thegearing may be disconnected from the rolls, so

that each roll I! with its associated bearing chocks H -and couplinmember 43 may be removed as a unit assembly from the housing.

In order to facilitate the handling of each roll assembly there isprovided a roll handling apparatus arranged to be suspended fromanoverhead crane or the like. In Fig. 5 there is shown one suitable formof roll handling apparatus 49 comprising two spaced uprights 50 fromwhich four parallel bars or fingers 5| project horizontally. Thesefingers are arranged in two vertically spaced pairs. On the outer end ofeach finger there is formed an upwardly projecting lug 53. Twohorizontal struts 54 are provided to hold the uprights 5|! in the properspaced relationship, these struts being located between the inner endsof the respective pairs of fingers. The uprights 50 extend for aconsiderable distance upwardly above the upper pair of fingers, andtheir upper ends are brought inwardly toward one another to engage theopposite sides of a bar 55 which extends horizontally in the samedirection as the fingers 5|. This bar 55 is provided with an open- 4 ing55 therethrough which lies substantially in a common vertical plane withthe finger lugs 53.

The various parts or this apparatus 48 are iastened together by weldingor other suitable means. 7

The roll neck bearing chocks i I are constructed and arranged forengagementwith the fingers 5| of the apparatus 45. For this purpose eachchock is provided with two recesses or pockets 58 located on oppositesides of the roll axis and arranged to receive the fingers 5| (Figs. 1and 3). These recesses open outwardly, toward the corresponding chockfor the opposite roll, and the outer ends of the recesses are flared 0rbell-mouthed to facilitate the entrance of the fingers. The upper wallsof the recesses 58 are slightly undercut near their inner ends, as shownin Fig. l, to receive the finger lugs 53. Preferably the two pairs offingers 5| are spaced apart vertically a distance slightly'exceeding'the vertical spacing of the recesses 58.

The operation of the invention will now be apparent from the abovedisclosure. The roll housings ill will be separated as i lustrated inFig. 1, and the left-hand spindle M will be raised to disconnect it fromthecoupling member 43 therebeneath. The apparatus 49 will then besuspended from the hook Ell of a suitable crane, lowered into the spacebetween the roll housings, and then moved horizontally toward thelefthand roll l2 to bring the fingers 5| into the recesses 58 of thebearing chocks H. The apparatus will then be raised slightly until theupper chock rests upon the upper fingers 5i and the lower chock restsupon the lower fingers 5|, the weight of the roll I! and of the couplingmember 43 being carried by the lower chock. The entire rolland bearingassembly may now be moved out-- wardly and upwardly as shown. in Fig. 2,until the lower chock is above the level of the upper bars l'8,whereupon it may be moved laterally between the gear housings 28. A newroll and bearing assembly may be placed in the mill by a reversal ofthis procedure. The gearing which drives the rolls need not be disturbedat all.

In Figs. 6 to 8 there is shown a modification of the invention,including an apparatus 62 arranged to handle both rolls simultaneously.This apparatus comprises two spaced uprights 63 which carry fourparallelhorizontal cross-bars 54, arranged in two vertically spacedpairs. These bars 84 are symmetrically disposed with respect to theuprights, and each bar provides two oppositely projecting fingers, withan upwardly projecting lug 65 on theend of each finger. Two horizontalstruts 61 are provided to hold the uprights 63 in the proper spacedrelationship, these struts being located between the central portions ofthe respective pairs of bars 34. A vertical plate 68 extends between theupper portions of the uprights 63, this plate being shaped to provide apair of oppositely'disposed hooks. 69. The various parts of theapparatus 62 are fastened together by welding or other suitable means.

The operation of this embodiment of the invention will be readilyapparent. The roll housings Ill will be separated and both spindles 4|will be raised to disconnect them from the coupling members 43. Theapparatus 62 will be suspended from the crane hook 60 by means of wirerope slings II which engage the-hooks 69. With the apparatus 62 loweredinto position between the roll housings, the housings will be movedtoward one another, causing the fingers 64 to enter the recesses-58 ofthe bearing chocks H, as

- is supported by the fingers 64, whereupon the roll housings will againbe separated and the loaded apparatus 62 raised still further andcarried away by the crane, as indicated in Fig. 8.

It will be recognized that the invention greatly facilitates thehandling of rolls in a mill of the vertical type, and this isaccomplished in such a manner that the roll-driving gears need not bedisturbed. Since the roll neck bearings remain in place on the rollnecks, the bearing surfaces are not exposed to dirt or possible injury.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by letters Patent is:

1. A rolling mill comprising a housing, and separate upper and lowerroll neck bearings mounted on the housing and removable there from in ahorizontal outward direction, the

bearings having vertically aligned bores adapted to receive the necks ofa vertical roll, each of the bearings having two recesses thereinextending inwardly from the outer face of the bearing at opposite sidesof the corresponding bore and adapted to receive the projecting fingersof a roll handling apparatus.

6 2. A rolling mill as set forth in claim 1, in which the housing hastwo vertically spaced pockets therein opening horizontally outward,

the rollneck bearings being mounted in the pockets.

3. A rolling mill as set forth in claim 2, in which the sides of eachpocket and bearing are correspondingly flared in the outward direction.

4. A rolling mill as set forth in claim 1, in which the recesses in thebearings are bellmouthed at their outer ends.

.5. A rolling mill as set forth inclaim 1, in which the upper wallsof'the recesses are undercut near their inner ends.

JOSEPH M. OMALLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 693,104 Budke Feb. 11,1902808,719 Bray Jan. 2, 1906 2,011,686 Mikaelson et al. Aug. 20, 19352,049,842 Kling Aug. 4, 1936

